Sculpture comes to life

Bud Patterson
Posted 5/3/17

Montana sculptor Gareth Curtiss spent the better part of last week bringing form to his vision for the main piece of artwork at the Career and Technology Education Center, which is nearing completion on the north side of the Eastern Wyoming College campu

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Sculpture comes to life

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TORRINGTON — Montana sculptor Gareth Curtiss spent the better part of last week bringing form to his vision for the main piece of artwork at the Career and Technology Education Center, which is nearing completion on the north side of the Eastern Wyoming College campus.
For four days, after driving from northern Montana, Curtiss worked in a classroom in the industrial arts building, piling strips of clay on to a block of plastic foam, pinching and smoothing them together until his vision had a face and a purpose; a female welder with a project of her own.
“She’ll be standing next to her project holding a TIG welder,” Curtiss said as he explained his concept to a small group of interested art enthusiasts Thursday night. “The base of her project is like a plow, something real and very western. But then it curves upward and out in an abstract. After all the future for a new welder, for all of us, is abstract.”
There is no mistaking the focal point of his piece is female and a welder, which was an appealing characteristic for EWC Vice President for Financial and Administrative Services Ron Laher, who was a member of the art selection committee, which reviewed 18 proposals from professional artists for the privilege of producing the artistic centerpiece.
“I felt that Mr. Curtiss’ proposal was head and shoulders above the rest,” Laher shared about the choice. “The selling point was the female welder.

“(The committee) wanted something more than just another wildlife sculpture, but most of the proposals were in the abstract, usually some sort of geometric design,” Laher said. “His was the most well-liked among the committee members.”
Curtiss is used to the process of vying for commissioned artwork in which a proposal is submitted, the selection committee is met with, there are copious amounts of second guessing the proposal and then wait while keeping fingers crossed. With over 40 public commissioned sculptures to his credit, Curtiss has developed an very good understanding of the process.
“The piece for Torrington will make the 18th state in which I have a public sculpture,” he said. “At present I have four commissioned pieces going. Besides the EWC project I have one for South Lake Tahoe, Calif., a life size mare and colt for Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and a life size woman and two children statue for Marietta, Ga.”
As for his style, Curtiss will take his inspiration from almost anywhere, but looks forward to pieces that capture a moment in history; he has done minutemen for the National Guard, depictions of the Lewis and Clark expedition and a World War II paratrooper. History even influenced his choice of a female welder for CTEC.
“During World War II my mother was a welder and she worked on the Liberty ships,” Curtiss shared. “She was also a well know politician for a long time Montana. I guess she has influenced me in many, many ways.”
Besides Curtiss’ sculpture, which will be displayed outside CTEC’s main entrance, there were five other artists selected to provide works for inside the building.
“The state compels any new project that is funded by the state, to spend up one percent of the cost of the project, or up to $100,000, on art,” Laher said. “Last year we formed a committee charged with picking the art and we worked with the Wyoming Art Council to get out the calls for entry and reviewing the submissions.
“We tried to keep our request for proposals to regional artists and also tried to strike a balance between the art on the outside and inside of the building. I think the public will be pleased with the selections.”
The tentative date for unveiling the artwork and dedicating the building is Thursday, August 24.